Note: this is a top 25 of all mid-majors of traditional one-bid leagues only. Not the A10, AAC, MWC & WCC)
Why are they here?
1) UC Irvine: every win so far this season has been by 15+ ppg. Average margin of victory is over 20 points. 18 point defeat of Pepperdine this week, winning the second half by 20.
2) North Florida: after its historic week one, UNF only played one game, a double digit loss to Georgia. That alone won't negate its spectacular first week.
3) GCU: The Lopes got its star player back in Tyon Grant-Foster this week, but went 0-1. The loss however, was competitive on a neutral floor to Arizona State, so that won't hurt them.
4) Columbia: the week following the win over Villanova was another without a loss. Defeats over Lehigh and Mercyhurst don't move the needle a ton, but the Lions remain undefeated.
5) Hofstra: not often will you see a team go from unranked to 5th overall. But it is early in the season, and the Pride had quite the week. Hofstra defeated Seton Hall on a "neutral" court, along with defeating UMass on the road. Wins away from home against teams from bigger leagues than your own are always welcomed.
6) Louisiana Tech: The Bulldogs looked the part once again this week, dominating UMass on a neutral floor to make it 2 wins of its 3 away from home this season.
7) Arkansas State: a 17 point win over Little Rock and a 10 point win over SFA continue the successful start for the Red Wolves who move to 3-1 with its lone loss by just 9 at Alabama.
8) Austin Peay: The Govs opened in the Top 25 last week thanks to its win at Butler, and began this week with a competitive win over Chattanooga. APU lost to Tennessee by 35 on Sunday, which is not a bad loss in itself, just a tough margin. However, the wins over Butler and the Mocs still carry much weight after two weeks.
9) High Point: in week one it was all about HPU showing its offensive potential against inferior opposition. This week, the Panthers dominated NC Central and followed it up with an impressive close win over UAB. This team feels like the best in the Big South early on, with its first tests away from home in a week.
10) Furman: the Paladins continue to impress. Furman defeated Jacksonville after an excellent second half and finished its week with an exciting win over an improved Tulane. Pjay Smith is one of the better guards in all of mid-major land.
11) Liberty: the Flames had quite the weekend. An OT thriller in Charleston against FAU saw Liberty come up short, but less than 24 hours later it dominated Charleston on the Cougars' home floor 68-47. That combined with the Seattle road win gives LU an eye opening start to the season.
12) Princeton: if there is one thing about the Tigers of late, they are going to challenge themselves against above average competition before Ivy League play. Princeton already has wins away from home against Northeastern and Duquesne along with a home Iona win, and added a road win over Merrimack on Sunday. Princeton did not rise further as it also lost its first game, granted by just 3, to Loyola Chicago.
13) Charleston: after an impressive week one, the Cougars played what is the game of the season so far. Yes, even better than Auburn vs Houston. Charleston went to double OT with FAU Friday night and won 119-116 on a fading three point buzzer beater by Ante Brzovic. CofC would be Top 10 this week if it wasn't for the 21 point loss to Liberty Sunday afternoon.
14) Northern Colorado: the Bears defeated South Dakota State this week in a game that it had in control the entire way. The game was neutral, but played in the state of South Dakota. It showed early on that the double OT battle with Colorado in week one was no fluke. This is a contender in the Big Sky.
15) UCSB: this is a fun offense to watch. Week two saw UCSB defeat two Mountain West foes in Fresno State at home and San Jose State on the road. The Fresno win was especially spectacular, as the Gauchos offense scored 91 points in front of a great crowd at The Thunderdome.
16) South Dakota State: a difficult result against Northern Colorado sends the Jacks down this week, but South Dakota State still has its outstanding showing against McNeese at the Sanford Pentagon to give it a boost. Nothing to indicate this still is not the favorite in the Summit.
17) UIC: the Flames lost a close game with Northwestern this week, which is nothing to be ashamed of in the slightest. UIC's win over Yale continues to age well as the Bulldogs almost defeated both Purdue and Minnesota this past week.
18) Murray State: the Racers were competitive with Pitt for much of that game, but it was a wonder if it was a fluke or not. It was not. Murray State dominated what appears to be a solid Middle Tennessee side on the road on Saturday to make its first statement of the season. Could be an exciting year ahead for Racers fans indeed.
19) McNeese: the Cowboys showed its potential in the way it battled Alabama, overcoming a large first half deficit to make it interesting, and so remain in the Top 20. A game with North Texas and the Paradise Jam tournament await to add a D1 win to its resume.
20) Bradley: the Braves had a much improved week, picking up two home wins by double digits over UTSA and Northern Illinois. All three of its win over expected inferior opposition are by 13+ points, but the performance against Washington State remains the weight of Bradley's ranking today.
21) Northeastern: the Huskies defeated Harvard mid-week, but appear in the Top 25 after its 18 point win over CCSU. After what CCSU showed in week one, this appears to be an impressive neutral court victory. Harold Woods was a sight once again in that one, scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds. He is averaging 20/10 through the first 4 games.
22) Belmont: after the crushing last minute loss to Furman, the Bruins won two road games this week over Air Force and most notably at Lipscomb in the Battle of the Boulevard. That game was incredible as it seems so many in-city rivalries end up being down to the final possession. This should be amongst the better Valley teams this season.
23) Western Kentucky: after playing Wichita State and GCU tough week one in defeats, WKU added a home win over Lipscomb on Sunday. In just 8 days time the Toppers play Kentucky at Rupp Arena, and needless to say that would be an opportunity to sky rocket this list.
24) Central Connecticut State: CCSU showed its ceiling in week one, challenging Providence to the brink and defeating Saint Joe's. That Saint Joe's team defeated Villanova this week to continue to age the win well, but CCSU lost by 18 to Northeastern on Saturday night. The week one performance is enough to keep them here another week, but a bounce back week 3 would be ideal.
25) Drake: the Bulldogs added a win over Florida Gulf Coast this week after a win over SFA last Sunday. The Bulldogs lost its head coach and best player to West Virginia after last season, but early signs indicate another competitive bunch near the top of the MVC for Drake.
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